Folding seat



Dec. 6, 1927. 1,652,100

w. D. EASTBURN FOLDING SEAT Filed Oct, 30. 1926 I I s /5 4 30 5 i 'u. 32 31X INVENTOR:

Patented Dec. 6,1927.

UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE. Q

WALTER n. EASI'IBURN, or Enxms PARK, PENNSYLVANIA,

FOLDING SEAT.

Application filed October 30,192 Serial no; 145,149.

ikn0wn as breakfast, nooks, school lunch rooms, cafeterias and other situations, wherever space is limited, as is frequently the case in modern dwellings, apartment houses, school-rooms and the like.

In folding seats or chair constructions known and used heretofore, it has frequently been the practice pivotally to secure the seat member to the support thereof,'so that when the seat was not in use, it could be folded upwardly'and backwardly into a substantially vertical position against the upright back of the support. 7 In constructions of this general character, the principal result accomplished was that of facilitating passage between the successive rows of seats or chairs when such seat supports were fixed. as is the case in theaters and the like or to facilitate the packing and moving around of such seats or chairs when the latter were not stationary or permanently fixed to the floor. In the former case, the chairs or seats occupied a certain amount of floor space at' all times, while in the'la-tter case, if it was desired to utilize the floorspace for some other purpose, it was necessary to remove the chairs'or seats to some other'place for temporary storage, all of which was inconvenient and consumed considerable time and labor. It is therefore obvious that neither advantageously used where space is very limited, or where the number of chairs or seats needed is very large, all of which made the use of such prior devices somewhat undesirable.

7 Another expedient heretofore resorted to was that of folding chairs or seats built-in, in the wall of a room and adapted to be used in connection with tables and the like, so that could befolded back against, and would seat in a recess in such wall or othersurfaceto which they weresecured. While this construction economized floor space, yet it was disadvantageous in that the use of such chairs or seats was necessarily confinedto the particular place or point at which such chairs were permanently secured.

To obviate the above disadvantages,- my

of these or similar constructions could be when such chairs were not in use, the same invention is designed to provide folding seats to .beuse'd in connection with tables, desks, counters and the like, which will occupy'a minimum amount of space when in use and which will occupy no additional space whatever when not in use, or when in the folded positiolnaffording at the same time a comfortable and convenient individual seat when in the unfoldedpositi'on.

Another object of my invention-is to provide a folding seat, which is adapted to be secured to the table, counter, or the like, in conjunction with which such seat is to be used, and to be folded thereunder, thus producing a unitary structure which may be transported at will and one which, will occupy no more space than thatrequired for the accommodation of tables and counters of any conventional construction.

A further object of my invention is to produce a folding seat of this general character, which can be deflected into and-withdrawn from the operative 0r seating position, easily and'quickly, with but a single movement and one which can be manufactured at a minimumcost, spring pressed fIlOtlOlldQVlCQS belng provided to retam the seat and its adjuncts in folded position and to retard the movement of the parts to the proper extent when the seat and its adjuncts are moved from the folded to the unfolded position.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings, a form thereof which is at present preferred by me since it will give in practice satisfactory and'reliable results, although it is to be understood, that the various instruin full lines in the operative or seating position and" in dotted lines in the folded or inoperative position.

Figure 2 represents an end elevation of Figure 1.

v portion of a table to which the same is ap-' plied, the seat and its adjuncts being shown Figurel represents top plan view, part:-

ill

ly in section, on line 8-3 of Figure 1, showing the pivoted mechanism and the friction devices employed.

Figure t represents a vertical section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference cl'iaracters indicate like parts, 1 designates-a table equipped with a folding, seat embodying my invention, con'iprisine the supporting pedestal 2c the topS and the legs l which may be of any 'coin'entional construction. To each oi? the outwardly projecting legs -il. piyotally secured the fold ing seat structure ii of my novel construe tion, as will he clearly seen in Finn 1. and 9. 6 designates a msingr. secured to and PIlClOsing the outer end of the lee ll, by means of the screws or other Fastening means 7. 9

designates a log; on the top plate 8 ofthe casing 6, to which is pivoted the inner end of the l nk 10 which may he a p pe or rod or the like, the outer end of which is pn'otallv secured to the horizontal arm ll by the bolt 19., said arm ll being; integral with or per- ,inanently secur d to the vertical support 13 for the seat 14. At a ru tuble point below the arm ill, the support l :l is urovided with the legs 15, wh ch may he made integral therewith or permanently secured thereto, and which sin'iport the folding: seat structure 5, when the latter in the extended or sent ing position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. To the outer or end plate 16 ot the casing 6 is secured the cars 18, to which is pirotally secured the elongated frame or housing 19 by means of the bolt 38, said housing 19 C0111 prisingrthe side walls 520 and the bottom and top walls 21 and rspectively, the outer end of said housing beingpiyotally secured to the vertical scat support 13 by the bolt 23, as will be understotnl from Fig. 1.. Enclosed in the housing; 19, shown in Fig. 3, the top wall 252 being; shown broken away for a portion of its length, is the transverse well EZ-lthroug rh which extends the outer threaded end 26 ot' the red 25, which carries the tension spiringfii. The front end of thosprine' 2T abuts against a washer held in positon by the nut 28, while the inner end of said spring bears against the rear transverse well 29 through which extends the inner end 30 of said rod 25, to which end 30 is pivotally secured the bracket composed of the plates 31 by the bolt 31* said plates 31 carrying at their innermost ends, the rollers 32, which bear against the inner curvcdsun face or com face of the rain 17, which is fixedly secured to the casino; 6, as will be understood from Fin. it. The tension spring gage at all times, the inner surface of the .27, causes the rollers 32 frictionally to encam 17, so as slightly to retard the downward movement oil the housing 19, and its adpmcts and in addition, retains the seat structure 5 and its adjimcts, in folded position.

".lhus, when it is desired to use my novel folding sent, it is only necessary to pull the same outwardly from the vertical, folded or inoperalire positionshown in dotted lines in t may he moved from place to place a unit.

It will be noted that I so shape the link 10, that when the seat is in the operative or seating position, said linlcwill be in a relatively low horizontal position thus facilitate ing; the use of my novel folding seat by women and children and allording, at the some tme, a conrenient foot rest or stool.

The spring 2T constantly urges the rollers 23:2 outwardly against tlreinner surface of the com member .lT, aml thus counterlnih unces the \i'einjht ot the seat 5 and its adjuncts, and prevents the same trom moving too rapidly from the rei dCtll folded posi tion, when said seat is being drawn to seating; position or when the table is being moved about, and. renders the n'ioyemont ol the seat in the folding and nnfi'ildinig operation smooth and even.

lVhile in the aecoi'l'ipnnyion drawings I hare, for the purpose of illustration, shown my novel folding seat applied to the l ot a pedestal table, it will be inulerstood that by slightly modifying the torn: oil the easing; (3, as tor eirample by substituting a flanged plate or bracket therefor, l can cure my novel folding seat :3 to the floor of the room at suitable intervals around the sides a table, or tothe wall. behind; or the rear Wall 0i", a shelf. counter or the like, thus producing a folding seat that may be used in connection with any suchnrtiole ot' tl'urnitnre or fixture and one which may be used n a lined or movable position at Will It will further be seen that .l have devised a durable, folding chair of universal use and applicability, which can be manufactured and assembled at a. m n mum cost.

It will now be apparent thatI have devised novel and useful folding seat, which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement ofthe inrention and the above description and hile I have, in the presentinstance-showifi and described an embod ment thereof which is at present preferred by me since it Will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that such embodiment is Ill) susceptible of variation in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is s 1. The combination of 'a seat pivotally supported, means. for folding said seat inwardly into vertical, inoperative position and for unfolding said seat outwardly into seating position and means to retain said seal; in vertical folded, inoperative posit-ion against dropping outwardly when the latter is not in use, comprising a fixed inner cam surface, rollers bearing on said cam surface, a support for said rollers pivotally connected to the seat support, having means therein for imparting tension to said rollers, to counterbalance the weight of the said seat and its adjuncts.

2. In a folding device of the character stated, a seat, a support therefor, an upper link having its outer end pivotally secured to said seat support and its inner end pivoted to a fixed point, a lower housing having the outer end thereof also pivotally secured to said seat support, and its inner end pivoted to a fixed point, a fixed cam, rollers carried by said lower housing and bearing against said cam and yieldable means in said housing adaptedv to tension said rollers against said cam to counterbalance the weight of said seat when w the latter is in folded position, said pivotal means at the inner ends of said link and housing respectively enabling the two latter to be detachably secured to any desired fixed point.

3. In a'device of the character stated, a seat, a vertically disposed support therefor, a relatively fixed rear member, a link having its rear end pivoted to said fixed member,

and its front end pivotally connected to said seat support, an elongated. frame below said link and having its front end pivotally se cured to said seat support, and its rear end also pivoted to said fixed member, a fixed inner cam surface carried by said fixed member, rollers carried by the rear end of-said frame and frictionally engaging said cam surface and means in said elongated frame for imparting tens1on to said rollers, to I counterbalance the weight of said seat and its adjuncts.

4. In a device ofthe character stated, a table, a support therefor, a folding seat adapted to be folded inwardly into a vertical, inoperative position beneath said table.

and to be unfolded outwardly into a seating position with respect thereto, a support for said seat, a lower housing having its inner and outer ends pivotally secured to said table and seat supports respectively, an upper link having its inner and outer ends also pivotally secured to said table and seat supports respectively to limit the inward movement of said seat, when the latter is folded into vertical, inoperative position, a fixed cam carried by said table, rollers carried by the 'inner end of said housing and frictionally engaging said cam, and yieldable means in said housing, adapted to tension said rollers agalnst the 1nner surface of said cam to counterbalance the weight of said seat and to I prevent the same from dropping from vertical, folded, inoperative position, said seat and said table being movable as a unit.

5. In a device of the character stated, a seat, a vertical support therefor, an upper link having its outer end pivoted to said seat support, a lower housing having its outer end also pivoted to said seat support, a relatively fixed member to which the inner ends of said link and housing are pivoted,

the front'and rear pivotal points of said link a and housing being out of alignment, a fixed cam carried by said fixed member, rollers carried by the rear end of said housing bearing on said cam, and tension devices in said housing for retaining said rollers in contact with said cam, to counterbalance the weight of said seat and its adjuncts. V

6. In a device of the character stated, a

seat, a seat support, legs carried by the latter, an upper link, a lower housing, said link and housing having their front ends pivoted to said seat support and their lower ends pivoted to relatively fixed points, said front and rear pivotal points being out of alignment, a fixed cam, rollers carried by the rear end of said housing bearing on said cam and means in said housing for tensioning said rollers against said cam to counterbalance the weight of said seat and its adjuncts.

WALTER- D. EASTBURN. 

